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Foreign-Born Service Members Exemplify the Best of What It Means to Be American

On Veterans’ Day we honor all of the men and women who have chosen to serve our country by joining the military. We pause to acknowledge the profound debt owed to those who have fought, sacrificed, and died to protect the United States of America, and to those service members currently defending our nation overseas and at home.

We include in our gratitude those members of the military who, though not born within our borders, demonstrate their love for and commitment to our country by serving in the armed forces.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reported last year that since September 2001, 74,977 members of the military have become U.S. citizens through naturalization ceremonies in places as diverse as Iraq, Afghanistan, El Salvador, and Thailand. With deep appreciation, NCLR recognizes our foreign-born service members who have decided to pursue the American Dream and their fullest potential as citizens.

We take pride in our veterans and in our servicemen and servicewomen pursuing citizenship. In 2010 NCLR partnered with Texas Affiliate the Mexican American Unity Council to host a special USCIS naturalization ceremony for several military personnel before the 2010 NCLR Annual Conference. You can view scenes from that ceremony in this video after the jump.

Thank you to all of our service members who have committed their lives to the defense of the United States of America. Your selfless example inspires and educates us all on the dedicated and courageous character of American citizenship.